Many roads include multiple lanes heading in the same direction. Speed of traffic flow often varies between the lanes, such that some lanes are slower than other lanes. There are many different sources of lane slowing. Some sources are intended and thus unavoidable. For example, one lane may be blocked by an obstacle (e.g., a police car or traffic cones), thus requiring drivers to slow down. Other sources are unintended and thus avoidable. For example, a vehicle may be traveling excessively under the speed limit without cause.
Although some variation in speed of traffic flow between lanes is normal, excessive slowing in one lane, but not in other lanes, may present problems. For example, excessive slowing in one lane may jam traffic, thus wasting fuel and aggravating drivers. As another example, excessive slowing in one lane may cause drivers to lane change from the slower lane to a faster lane. The probability of collision is often greater during a lane change than forward driving. Thus, extra lane changes increase the risk of collision between vehicles.
Accordingly there is a need for new systems and methods that reduce the probability of lane changes due to unintended or avoidable sources of lane slowing.